Archive for category Political
PBS Host Travis Smiley Bizarrely Claims ‘You Lie’ Comment to Obama Our ‘Greatest Moment of Incivility’
Posted by jrpurcellsr in Political on January 13, 2011
Apparently the leftist host on PBS has a very narrow view of history. He has completely forgotten about cane beatings and shootings in the house. Here is the link to the Newsbusters article.
New York City’s No-Show SEIU Snow Jobs – Big Government
Posted by jrpurcellsr in Political on January 6, 2011
Climate Gate Scandal being ignored by the media
Posted by jrpurcellsr in Political on December 17, 2009
Climate change scandal
Posted by jrpurcellsr in Political on December 3, 2009
Cash for clunkers is a shining example of government health care
Posted by jrpurcellsr in Political on August 1, 2009
Great article on the “success” of the cash for clunkers program: tinyurl.com/ks8ksd.
My favorite quote in the piece is “I might have waited until the truck died,” Dennis Strom said of his 14-year-old Dodge Dakota. “It’s a good vehicle that suits our needs. But it’s not worth $3,500.”
So we are paying people to trade in a perfectly suitable vehicle that is probably paid for so we can destroy that vehicle and get them in a new loan for a new vehicle that they probably can’t afford all under the guise of saving the planet by getting 3 more miles per gallon from the new automobile. And this is who we should trust to run the entire country’s health care?
Let’s follow the trail of this idiotic program. First you trade in some vehicle that is perfectly suitable a needy family. The dealership will then destroy the engine in that vehicle by emptying the oil and pouring in a silicone mixture to permanently disable the engine. The destroyed hulk of steel and plastic will be shipped via truck to Pueblo, Colorado (I’m sure in a carbon emission free truck) to be shredded into small pieces (by a carbon emission free shredder). Those pieces will then be shipped via truck to the coast (by the same emission free truck, I suppose) where the pieces will be loaded on to a giant freighter (that emits no carbon emissions) to be shipped to China where the pieces will be melted down (again, no emissions here) to be used to make products that will be sold back to the US (both the construction of those products and the shipping of those products must certainly be emission free). All of this to save as little as 3 miles per gallon in the name of saving the environment and stimulating the economy. Who is paying for the trucks to ship the disabled cars and the shredded pieces? Who is paying for the ships to haul the scrap to China? Where are those contracts in the deal and how much is that costing us? What about the looming auto bubble when these people can’t afford their new car payments? What about the artificial inflation of the used car market by pulling low cost used cars out of it? What about the effect on the after market parts companies and the used car dealers? What about the 1 billion dollars that the government (i.e. me and you) spent so far to put all of this in motion?
In looking at the poor way the program was run, do we really think health care would go any better? The quote in the article, “At Walser Toyota in Bloomington, customers began lining up on Monday before doors opened at 7:30 a.m.. Swenson said. By that afternoon, his dealership had done 150 trade-ins under the program. His salesmen worked overnight to scan and submit forms. But of the 150, he said, only 30 received responses and all of those were rejections.” The whole process is a complete mess and a sham. The inept congress voted Friday to expand the program by putting 200% more funds into it; God help us.
Your new car?
Posted by jrpurcellsr in Political on July 6, 2009
It’s in the way you dress. The way you boogie down. The way you sign your unemployment check. You’re a man who likes to do things your own way. And on those special odd-numbered Saturdays when driving is permitted, you want it in your car. It’s that special feeling of a zero-emissions wind at your back and a road ahead meandering with possibilities. The kind of feeling you get behind the wheel of the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition from Congressional Motors.
All new for 2012, the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition is the mandatory American car so advanced it took $100 billion and an entire Congress to design it. We started with same reliable 7-way hybrid ethanol-biodeisel-electric-clean coal-wind-solar-pedal power plant behind the base model Pelosi, but packed it with extra oomph and the sassy styling pizazz that tells the world that 1974 Detroit is back again — with a vengeance.
We’ve subsidized the features you want and taxed away the rest. With its advanced Al Gore-designed V-3 under the hood pumping out 22.5 thumping, carbon-neutral ponies of Detroit muscle, you’ll never be late for the Disco or the Day Labor Shelter. Engage the pedal drive or strap on the optional jumbo mizzenmast, and the GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition easily exceeds 2016 CAFE mileage standards. At an estimated 268 MPG, that’s a savings of nearly $1800 per week in fuel cost over the 2011 Pelosi.
Even with increased performance we didn’t skimp on safety. With 11-point passenger racing harnesses, 15-way airbags, and mandatory hockey helmet, you’ll have the security knowing that you could survive a 45 MPH collision even if the GTxi SS/Rt were capable of that kind of illegal speed.
But the changes don’t stop there. Sporty mag-style hubcaps and an all-new aggressive wedge shape designed by CM’s Chief Stylist Ted Kennedy slices through the wind like an omnibus spending bill. It even features an airtight undercarriage to keep you and a passenger afloat up to 15 minutes — even in the choppy waters of a Cape Cod inlet. Available a rainbow of color choices to match any wardrobe, from Harvest Avocado to French Mustard.
Inside, a luxurious all-velour interior designed by Barney Frank features thoughtful appointments like in-dash condom dispenser and detachable vibrating shift knob. A special high capacity hatchback holds up to 300 aluminum cans, meaning fewer trips to the redemption center. And the standard 3 speaker Fairness ActoPhonic FM low-band sound system means you’ll never miss a segment of NPR again.
Best of all, the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt is made right here in the U.S.A. by fully card-checked unionized workers and Detroit’s famous visionary jet-set managers. Even if you don’t own one, you can enjoy the patriotic satisfaction that you’re supporting the high wages, good benefits, and generous political donations that are once again making the American car industry the envy of the world.
But why not buy one anyway? With an MSRP starting at only $629,999.99, it’s affordable too. Don’t forget to ask about dealer incentives, rebates, tax credits, and wealth redistribution plans for customers from dozens of qualifying special interest groups. Plus easy-pay financing programs from Fannie Mae.
So take the bus to your local CM dealer today and find out why the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition is the only car endorsed by President Barack Obama. One test drive will convince you that you’d choose it over the import brands. Even if they were still legal.
The Real Truth about Green Jobs
Posted by jrpurcellsr in Political on June 14, 2009
Fantastic video seminar about the myth of “Green Jobs” creation. The Spanish model is causing a renewable jobs bubble that is not sustainable and is in fact collapsing. This is a must see video because it is the truth about the continued usurpation of our liberties under the guise of saving the world.
100 Days – 100 Gaffes, Blunders and Failures
Posted by jrpurcellsr in Political on April 29, 2009
* After muffing his first attempt to take the oath of office, Obama repeats his swearing in ceremony in the Oval Office, with no Bible, no press photographers and only 4 reporters present, to the dismay of press who expected “transparency”.
* Obama signs executive order to close GITMO, but has absolutely no contingency plan or back up location to house existing terrorists or newly captured terrorists.
* Obama reverses order allowing new embryonic stem cell research, apparently objecting to a supposedly “false choice between sound science and moral values” – as if moral values are irrelevant in allowing embryonic research.
* $170 million spent on lavish inauguration of Obama with $49 million of it paid for by taxpayer money (triple what George Bush spent) – all for a candidate who supposedly campaigned on being more fiscally-responsible.
* Obama, inexplicably, returns a bust of Winston Churchill back to Britain, which loaned the prized gift to America as a show of loyalty and steadfastness after 9-11.
* Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff, involved in the Rod Blagojevich scandal, admits to “multiple conversations” with Rod Blagojevich on who to offer Obama’s vacant Senate seat. No further investigations of this by the media.
* Bill Richardson, Commerce Secretary nominee, withdraws under federal grand jury investigation of corruption charges while Gov. of New Mexico.
* Tim Geithner, Treasury Secretary nominee, failed to pay $34,000 in back payroll taxes. Confirmed anyway.
* Gen. Anthony Zinni, offered and accepted position as Ambassador to Iraq, and then was never told that it was later given to someone else.
* Sen. Judd Gregg, Commerce Secretary nominee, withdraws after saying he could not support Obama’s economic plans.
* Charles Freeman, National Intelligence Council Chairman nominee, withdraws nomination amid publicity surrounding his financial ties to China and Saudi Arabia and his outspoken views against Israel.
* Hilda Solis, Labor Secretary nominee, failed to pay $6,400 in back taxes and penalties going back to 1994. Confirmed anyway.
* Ron Kirk, US Trade Representative nominee, failed to pay $10,000 in back taxes. Confirmed anyway.
* Nancy Killefer, Chief Performance Officer nominee, failed to pay $1,000 in taxes and penalties going back to 2005. Nomination Withdrawn.
* Tom Daschle, Dept. of Health Secretary nominee, failed to pay $140,000 in back taxes and interest. Nomination Withdrawn.
* Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Surgeon General nominee, withdraws due to bureaucratic bungling in aftermath of Tom Daschle’s nomination debacle.
* Kathleen Sebelius, Dept. of Health Secretary nominee, failed to pay $7,000 in back taxes owed from 2005, 2006 and 2007. Confirmed anyway.
* Dawn Johnsen, Dept. Justice Office of Legal Counsel nominee, compared pregnancy to slavery, implying that opposing abortion “disturbingly suggestive of involuntary servitude, prohibited by the 13th Amendment”.
* Annette Nazareth, Treasury Dept. Deputy nominee, withdraws under criticism of her lax oversight of the banking industry while working at the SEC.
* Caroline Kennedy, a Catholic, is rejected by the Vatican as Obama’s choice for Ambassador to the Vatican because of her outspoken support for abortion.
* Greg Craig, chosen as White House Counsel by Obama, had a long history of defending notorious clients including John Hinkley Jr., Cuban father of Elian Gonzalez, UN Sec. Kofi Annan during the his oil-for-food scandal, a Panamanian sought by US for murdering a US soldier and corrupt Bolivian leaders accused of murdering political opponents.
* Tony West, Obama’s nominee for assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, served as defense attorney for “American Taliban” terrorist John Walker Lindh. This was never even mentioned in West’s Senate confirmation hearings.
* Van Jones, chosen as Special Adviser For Green Jobs by Obama, describes himself as a “rowdy black nationalist” and admits becoming a “communist” and “revolutionary” and organized with black radicals, anarchists and communists.
* Martin Feldstein, appointed to Obama’s tax-reform task force and a member of Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board had been an AIG Board member for 21 years.
* Harold Koh, State Department top legal adviser nominee, after 9-11 lumped the USA along with North Korea and Iraq as the “axis of disobedience”, sought a “transnational legal process” to control America’s behavior and chastised the US for failing to “obey global norms”.
* Tim Geithner, Treasury Sec. directly contradicts himself, saying he’d be “open” to replacing the US Dollar with a world currency, a day after testifying to the House of Reps. that he opposes replacing the dollar.
* Ray LaHood, Sec. of Transportation, floats the idea of taxing American auto drivers by-the-mile, only to be quickly shot down by a Transportation Dept. clarification.
* Arne Duncan, Sec. of Education, announces that he will end the D.C. voucher program for 1,700 low-income students and rescinded the scholarships already awarded to 200 more D.C. children, locking them into the worst public schools in the nation.
* Eric Holder, Attorney General, publicly calls the US “a nation of cowards” for supposedly not addressing race relations to his level of satisfaction.
* Eric Holder, US Attorney General, vows to reinstate the “assault weapon” ban, even while 65 House Democrats wrote him in opposition to such a ban.
* Eric Holder, US Attorney General, stating the disposition of captured Somali pirate is “the possibility is that we would release him into this country.”
* Obama move the US Census from the non-political Commerce Dept. to under his own Chief of Staff, making the Census, which determines congressional and electoral college apportionment, a direct political tool with clear conflict-of-interests.
* Obama pre-selects journalists to be called for questioning at news conferences, essentially using all other reporters in attendance as just props.
* Robert Gibbs, Obama’s press secretary gives a pointed insult to CNBC’s Rick Santelli saying he’s “not entirely sure where Mr. Santelli lives or in what house he lives” after Santelli criticizes Obama’s mortgage bailout plan.
* Hillary Clinton, Sec. of State, blunders and gives Russian Foreign Minister a mistranslated “Overcharge” button as a token gift.
* Obama goes on Jay Leno show and says his bad bowling ability is “like the Special Olympics”, crudely insulting disabled children around the world.
* Obama thanks himself at a St. Patrick’s day celebration, blindly reading the wrong speech from his TelePrompter.
* Obama, supposedly so articulate, relies so heavily on teleprompters for even the most mundane and brief statements and announcements.
* Joe Biden, Vice-President, asks “Do you know the Web site number?” when he can’t remember the web address for how the public will access information on the new spending/stimulus bill.
* Obama sends “secret” letter to Russia offering to give up our protection of Poland and Czech Republic in exchange for Russian help with Iran negotiations. Russia rejects the offer, but our close Eastern Europe allies learn they have no friend in Obama.
* Obama offends Armenian-Americans and breaks his campaign promise that “America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide”, instead refusing to even use the word “genocide” when he visited Turkey after being elected.
* Obama affectionately refers to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as “my man” saying “love this guy”… after da Silva blames the world’s economic problems on “white, blue-eyed” bankers.
* Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme spiritual leader, quickly and harshly rebukes Obama’s short video greeting to Iranians.
* Obama declares that the US is not winning the war in Afghanistan and opened the door to a reconciliation with the Taliban.
* Obama insults Afghan President Hamid Karzai saying, “Karzai has a bunker mentality” and that Karzai’s detached from Afghan people, which Karzai refutes and then says Obama needs to “settle down” and use “better judgment”.
* Obama gives a paltry greeting gift (a set of DVDs) to British Prime Minster Gordon Brown who brings Obama a one-of-a-kind pen holder carved from the wood of an ancient British slave ship.
* Michelle Obama crudely breaks British Royal protocol by hugging Queen Elizabeth II.
* Obama stokes anti-American feelings while visiting Europe denigrating America by showing “arrogance” towards the world and being “dismissive, even derisive”.
* Obama gives British Queen an iPod – loaded with speeches delivered by him.
* Obama bows fully at the waist to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, is the only foreign leader to bow to another at the G20 meeting and is the only US President to ever bow to any foreign leader in history.
* Obama aide blatantly lies about Obama’s full bow to King Abdullah stating, “It wasn’t a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he’s taller than King Abdullah.”.
* Obama tries to use the North Dakota flood as an indication that man-made global warming is real and that his cap-and-trade plan would prevent such floods.
* White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs spend many days publicly attacking radio hosts who disagree with Obama’s policies.
* Hillary Clinton, Sec. State, laughs while describing the kidnapping of Americans by Somali pirates.
* Tim Geithner, Treasury Sec., delivers disastrous “plan” for Administration handling of economic crisis, sending markets immediately dropping nearly 5% within a day.
* Tim Geithner, Treasury Sec., states that “Our hope is that we can work with Europe on a global framework, a global infrastructure which has appropriate global oversight”, hinting that the American economy too will be put under “global oversight”.
* Obama glibly dismisses the trillions in wealth of American families being lost by wide market volatility by coldly stating he’s not concerned with “the day-to-day gyrations of the stock market”.
* Obama specifically tells Republicans to not listen to Rush Limbaugh, thus driving up Limbaugh’s radio show ratings.
* Obama reverses 18-year policy on barring media from covering the return of dead soldiers, which used to be a private moment for families first seeing the arrival of their fallen loved ones.
* Obama proposes that Veterans wounded in war reimburse the VA for their medical care out of their own medical insurance.
* Obama laughs at the failing US automakers with thousands losing their jobs, in 60 Minutes interview.
* Obama demands and receives the resignation of GM CEO Rick Waggoner, while simultaneously saying “The United States government has no interest in running GM.”
* Obama usurps Congressional budgetary power by unilaterally declaring, with no legislative authority, that the US will now back all GM & Chrysler warranties.
* Obama breaks campaign promise to “immediately” begin removing troops from Iraq at “one or two brigades a month”.
* Obama breaks campaign promise to oppose earmarks, signs stimulus bill loaded with 9,000 pork-filled earmarks.
* Obama breaks pledge to consult Congress before carving out exceptions to the omnibus spending bill he signed into law – breaking his own signing-statement rules just two days after issuing them.
* Obama breaks campaign promise for new NAFTA labor and environmental regulations. He now says he won’t.
* Obama, breaking his campaign pledge for greater “transparency”, directs defense officials to sign a pledge stating they will not share 2010 budget data with anyone outside the federal government.
* Obama breaks pledge to give daughters a dog rescued from an animal shelter. Instead he buys one from a breeder, and names him “BO” – his initials.
* Obama breaks campaign pledge to end Bush-era warrant less wiretapping policies. He’s decided to continue them, now that he’s President.
* Hillary Clinton, Sec. State echoes Chief Of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s exhortation to “Never waste a good crisis”, hoping to use the economic crisis to implement otherwise unpopular global-warming policies forward.
* Janet Napolitano, Sec. of Homeland Security, never utters the word “terrorism” and instead replaces it with “man-caused disasters” in her first testimony before Congress, then actually defends it by saying she doesn’t want to use fear.
* Janet Napolitano, Sec. of Homeland Security, visiting Canada erroneously implies that the 9-11 terrorists entered American through Canada. She also falsely stated that no terrorists have ever entered through Mexico.
* Janet Napolitano, Sec. of Homeland Security, erroneously states that illegally crossing the border “is not a crime per se. It is civil.”
* Janet Napolitano, Sec. of Homeland Security, releases and then affirms a declassified document specifically warning that returning Iraqi veterans, gun owners, conservatives and those opposed to Obama’s policies constitute “right wing extremists” and the “potential emergence of terrorist groups” composed of them.
* Senate proposes a bill to allow the President to shut down all private Internet Service Providers that he alone deems necessary for national security.
* Against current CIA Director Leon Panetta’s advice and four former CIA Directors’ advice, Obama releases selected classified “torture memos” which now helps terrorists train themselves to withstand our interrogation techniques.
* Obama declares that “these interrogation techniques… do not make us safer”, is then contradicted by his own National Intelligence Director Adm. Dennis Blair who staunchly defended those techniques saying “High value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used”. Blair was later made to recant his comments to align them with Obama’s comments.
* Obama does nothing to oppose North Korea from launching missile over Japan.
* Obama sends overtures of openness to Communist Cuba’s leaders Raul and Fidel Castro. Later Obama is publicly rebuked by Fidel Castro for mistaking their willingness to talk as a sign they’re willing to address human rights abuses in Cuba.
* Obama provokes a possible trade-war with Mexico over less than 100 trucks.
* Obama warmly greets, smiles and shakes hands with rabidly anti-American Venezuelan Communist dictator Hugo Chavez, who only a month earlier had called Obama an “ignoramus”.
* Obama sits in silence through a vicious 50-minute anti-American tirade by former Nicaraguan Leftist dictator Daniel Ortega.
* Obama burns over 9,000 gallons of jet fuel on Earth Day to fly to Iowa – just to push for “New Era” in green energy.
* Obama vows to pressure Congress to pass an immigration-reform bill allowing a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.
* Obama contradicts his own campaign rhetoric where he warned against using fear, but then immediately resorted to using economic fear to drive support for his pork-laden stimulus bill.
* Obama, pushing for his stimulus, erroneously states that Caterpillar CEO Jim Owens told him that passing the stimulus would allow him to hire more employees. Owens responds saying, “realistically no” and that he’d actually still have to lay off employees.
* Obama warns Congressional Democrats of retaliation for voting for against his stimulus bill saying to Rep. Peter DeFazio, “Don’t think we’re not keeping score, brother.”
* Democrat leaders shut Republican Reps out of the House-Senate Conference negotiations on Obama’s Stimulus Bill, to the dismay of House Republican Conference Chair Mike Pence saying the final stimulus bill was crafted “without a single House Republican in the room”.
* Obama supported the $173 Billion AIG bailout specifically including $165 million Executive Bonus protections, then rails against AIG Executive Bonuses – that he knew all about ahead of time.
* $900 million of US taxpayer money to be given to Hamas supposedly to rebuild Gaza. That’s just $900 million more that Hamas can spend on it’s terrorist war with Israel.
* Obama states that government should spend money to meet the needs of people’s families: “We need to restore the American people’s confidence in their government — that it is on their side, spending their money wisely, to meet their families’ needs “.
* Treasury Dept. cannot to state what the $700 Billion original TARP money given to banks was used for, as nearly all of it is still publicly unaccounted for.
* Tim Geithner, Sec. Treasury, states the Obama Administration won’t let banks like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan/Chase pay back TARP money given to them through the bailout, even if they are financially sound and have the ability to do so, instead choosing to keep control over them.
* Obama signs $3.6 Trillion budget, half a trillion more than last year, quadrupling the federal deficit to $1.8 trillion from $470 billion last year.
* Obama breaks campaign promise to cut Bush’s $470 billion deficit in half, and actually plans to maintain trillion dollar deficits for the next 10 years.
* Obama holds a press conference to proclaim that his Administration will cut 0.0027% out of his $3.6 TRILLION dollar budget, and his press secretary Robert Gibbs then defends it saying it’s “a lot of money”.
* Obama states he supports criminal charges against former Administration lawyers for simply giving advice regarding LEGAL CIA interrogation techniques.
* Obama repeatedly perpetuates the lie that “90%” of guns used by Mexican cartels come from the US, when it’s actually only about 17%, according to the Obama Administration’s own ATF testimony before Congress.
One more makes 101:
* Obama Administration officials threaten NYPD, FBI, NY Mayor and Secret Service to keep quiet about an Air Force One low flyby of Ground Zero area which terrified New Yorkers and angered NY officials.
Another makes 102:
GM to become government owned, after Obama LESS THAN 30 DAYS PRIOR says they government has no intention of running GM.
Discrimination against white males encouraged in Australia
Posted by jrpurcellsr in Political on January 19, 2009
In this article by Susie O’ Brien on December 8, 2008 in the Herald Sun, she claims that discrimination against dominant white males will soon be encouraged in a bid to boost the status of women, the disable and cultural and religious minorities. Isn’t discrimination still discrimination no matter who it is enacted upon? What would make this OK and white males discriminating against minorities bad? Does payback make it acceptable?
Here is the article:http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,24771759-2862,00.html
The First Thanksgiving – "The Rest of the Story"
Posted by jrpurcellsr in Political on November 24, 2008
The First Thanksgiving – “The Rest of the Story”
By Gary Palmer
On the fourth Thursday of November, Americans will gather with their families and friends to celebrate a uniquely American holiday, a day of thanksgiving, a day devoted to remembering the blessings of God.
Much to the irritation of secular liberals and Left wing radicals who dominate popular culture, media and educational institutions, Thanksgiving Day is undeniably a religious holiday. From its historic origin at Plymouth Colony to President Lincoln’s official declaration of “… the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” there is no denying that Thanksgiving is a government established and sanctioned religious holiday.
But there is more to the story.
First of all, the Pilgrims were not the first to declare a day of thanksgiving in America. In 1619, a year before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, a group of English colonists set aside a day to give thanks for their safe voyage and arrival in Virginia. As was typical religious custom of that time, there was no feast on that day of thanksgiving. The festival of eating and drinking which the Pilgrims celebrated with their Indian neighbors occurred in 1621 and was a substantial departure from the usual custom of fasting and praying on days of thanksgiving.
It is generally known that the Pilgrims suffered terribly through their first winter in America with about half of their members dying from sickness, starvation or exposure. Even though Squanto and other friendly Indians taught the Pilgrims how to grow corn and helped them with hunting, trapping and fishing, the harvest of their crops had yielded barely enough to support the colony. In the fall of 1621, although things were still very tough, they were thankful for what they had and declared a three-day feast which they shared with their Indian friends who contributed deer and wild fowl.
That is about the extent of what most people know about that first Pilgrim Thanksgiving. The following year, the Pilgrims again failed to produce enough food to adequately sustain them. People generally don’t realize the reason the productivity was so low was due to the practice of socialism.
William Bradford, the first governor of Plymouth Colony, recorded that the colonists struggled because they refused to work in the fields. After that first winter, Bradford assigned a plot of land to each of the surviving families and “… all profits & benefits that are got by trade, working, fishing, or any other means” which they produced were to be deposited into a common storehouse and that “all such persons as are of this colony, are to have their meat, drink, apparel, and all provisions out of the common stock.” This meant that each member of the community was entitled to take what they needed regardless of how much or how little they contributed.
As Governor Bradford recorded in his journal, this effort to spread the wealth around the Pilgrim community “… was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort.” In other words, there was no incentive for people to work any harder than necessary.
After the dismal harvest of 1622, Governor Bradford recorded in his journal that “… they began to think how they might raise as much corn as they could, and obtain a better crop.” As a result, Bradford and the Plymouth elders scrapped socialism and adopted a free market plan that allowed the colonists to own their land and the means of production and to keep what they produced to feed themselves or for trading. The harvest of 1623 proved that such market incentives work. Bradford wrote, “This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any other means the Governor or any other could use ….”
Bradford acknowledged “… instead of famine now God gave them plenty and the face of things was changed, to the rejoicing of the hearts of many.” Socialism in Plymouth Colony was a complete and tragic failure. After the colony implemented a free market system, Bradford wrote that from that point “… any general want or famine hath not been amongst them since to this day.” In fact, the harvest of 1624 was so plentiful that colonists were able to start exporting corn to England.
As you gather with family and friends this national day of Thanksgiving to give thanks to Almighty God for His blessings on America, you should also give thanks for Governor Bradford and the Pilgrim settlers of Plymouth Colony. They established the spiritual foundations for our nation and, after a miserable failure with a socialist system, they wisely laid the free market foundations which ensured our prosperity as well.
And that, as Paul Harvey would say, is “the rest of the story.”
Gary Palmer is president of the Alabama Policy Institute, a non-partisan, non-profit research and education organization dedicated to the preservation of free markets, limited government and strong families, which are indispensable to a prosperous society.
November 21, 2008
Note: This column is a copyrighted feature distributed free of charge by the Alabama Policy Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author and API are properly cited. For information or comments contact: Gary Palmer, Alabama Policy Institute, 402 Office Park Drive, Suite 300, Birmingham, Alabama 35223, (205) 870-9900, e-mail garyp@alabamapolicy.org. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this column, please e-mail joannel@alabamapolicy.org.
